Infectious disease epidemiology is one of the most exciting applications of epidemiologic methodology, yet obtaining the requisite tools to engage in the field can be difficult. Essentials of Infectious Disease Epidemiology makes critical concepts intuitive and readily understandable. This book offers an introduction to the material that can be used as a foundation for more advanced epidemiology or infectious disease texts, or concurrently.

Chapter 6, Laying the foundation: how to conduct a studyResearch questions and hypotheses—structuring your study

Chapter 7, Experimental designs as a foundation for observational studiesExperimental designs in broad strokes
The drug approval process in the United States
How to conduct a randomized controlled trial
Strengths and limitations

Chapter 8, From the experimental to the cohort study
From the experimental to the cohort study
Cohort studies in infectious disease research
How to conduct a cohort study
Strengths and limitations

Chapter 9, Case-control and cross-sectional studiesFrom the cohort study to the case-control study, and beyond
How to conduct a case-control study
Strengths and limitations
Cross-sectional studies
How to conduct a cross-sectional study
Strengths and limitations

Chapter 13, Program evaluation in the infectious disease setting
Differences between research and evaluation
Similarities of research and evaluation
Types of evaluation
Developing evaluation studies
Evaluation Frameworks
Thinking through evaluation in the infectious disease setting

Appendix A: Resources

Index

Manya Magnus, PhD, MPH-Associate Professor, The George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Washington D.C.

Manya Magnus, PhD, MPH, is Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at The George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health.

“…bridges the gap between teaching epidemiological methods and practicing infectious disease epidemiology. The author explains key epidemiologic methods such as study design, interpretation of data, and assessment of validity and provides practical examples of how these methods are specifically applied to infectious disease epidemiology. Illustrative graphics and helpful tables summarize written information. Thought-provoking discussion questions move beyond a simple reiteration of facts and allow an opportunity for the application of learned concepts to real-world situations.”

—Margaret L Chorazy, MPH
University of Iowa College of Public Health
(for Doody’s Book Review Service, December 2007)